Source: REUTERS/Issei Kato
[Saba Sports News] During yesterday’s mixed doubles match at the Sudirman Cup, Chinese player Huang Dongping faced an “absurd penalty”—not from her opponent but from an inhumane rule outside the court. Before the start of the third set, Huang requested permission to leave the court for a bathroom break due to her menstrual cycle. Although she returned within 1 minute and 7 seconds, which was promptly approved by the referee, she was still penalized one point. Fortunately, she and her partner Feng Yanze were not affected by this incident; instead, they performed even better after receiving the penalty. “Is one minute not enough?” Huang’s helpless rhetorical question after the game sparked heated discussions. This controversial ruling not only infuriated fans but also placed the rules of the Badminton World Federation under intense scrutiny. Some fans pointed out that last year’s All England Open badminton tournament saw Kirsty Gilmour of England receive a yellow card for the same reason. The federation had promised to improve its refereeing standards and make them more humane, yet this latest penalty seemed to worsen the situation. In response, other fans dug up historical cases to criticize the double standards in refereeing. As of now, the Badminton World Federation has yet to comment, but the issue has already triggered extensive discussions about “humanitarian clauses” in event regulations.